


RTFM

by akire_yta



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-24
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 11:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/939279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>prompt: ancient device does something bizarrely inexplicable yet terribly amusing. hopefully involving as many of the characters on the show as possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	RTFM

“It’s like some bizarre game of pass the parcel.” Sheppard leaned against the balcony railing until his feet lifted off the floor, eyes transfixed on the scene below him.

Rodney slouched next to him, desperately punching figures into his tablet computer. “Telepathic Chinese Whispers,” he agreed. “Which does kind of defeat the purpose, if you think about it.”

John laughed. It felt good, having a disaster/accident/average day in Atlantis that he could laugh about. Below him, people moved through the crowds like some huge, lumbering dance. Hands slipped over hands, bare arms and shoulders. Even in the cool blue light that flooded down the stairs through the giant windows, he could just make out the warm, butter-yellow glow that slipped over skin, snaking from person to person. “I think I saw something like this in an episode of Babylon 5, once, I think.”

That made McKay look up. “You,” he said flatly, jabbing at him with the stylus. “Are a geek. I don’t know how you’ve hidden it from the military all these years.” Turning on the spot, he hugged the tablet to his chest as he looked down over the assembled city. Carson’s white-coated staff were moving in now as the last of the yellow light dissipated from view. “And that’s that.”

“Yeah.” There didn’t seem to be much left to say.

“Wonder what it was meant to do.” John looked sideways at Rodney, who seemed to take it as an invitation to continue. “I mean, strange Ancient device gives you the ultimate electric shock, which you then pass on to the next person along with whatever’s on your mind.” This time the stylus actually poked him in the arm, gently but firmly. “Like pink elephants.”

John smirked, but refused to meet Rodney’s eye. Zelenka’s crazy bilingual babbling and Cadman’s yell of “Not again!” had given him just enough warning to clear his mind before the yellow glow had crawled across his skin and brought with it flickering images of a stone city, a field of snow, the correct procedure for throwing a grenade.

Pink elephants had seemed the safest option at the time.

John answered his original question instead. “Perhaps it was a way to get emergency information out quickly. A touch, and everyone knew what was happening, what to do.”

He didn’t have to look to know that Rodney was rolling his eyes. “That’s what speakers and comms systems are for.”

“Comms break,” John replied with a pragmatic shrug. “Come on, I’ll buy you breakfast.”

He was glad to see that Rodney didn’t flinch from his touch.


End file.
